Electric fixture



C. 1934. A A MALLINCKRODT 1,977,135

ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed June 5, 1933 I N VEN TOR.

Patented ct. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE y Y ELECTRIC FIXTURE Armin A. Mallinckrodt, Webster Groves, Mo.

Application June 5, 1933, Serial No. 674,334 4 claims. v(ci. 24o-52.4)

cially available types. vantage in a lighting arrangement employed x- This is of particular adtures wired in series, for example, as in the usual Christmas tree lighting sets.

A further object of the invention is attained in an ornamental light fixture ofv the general type noted, which may be constructed throughout of standard, readily available stock materials, and which, by reason of the entirely internal location of terminals and connections, minimizes fire hazards and interruptions due to loose connections,

etc.

A still further object of the invention is attained in a fixture of the general type, and suitable for the purposes noted;` the parts of which are so arranged that the fixture may be completely assembled and disassembled without special tools or equipment, and whereby assembly costs are minimized, enabling the xture to be dispensed at a moderate price.

Expressed with some greater particularly than the foregoing objects, with respect to the structure of this disclosure, there may be indicated the present objective of constructing a xture or receptacle of the type referred to, so as to receive a light bulb of socalled switchboard type, the arrangement and design of parts being such as to avoid, by preference,

the use 'of a screw socket bulb base, and being further such that a-replacement bulb may be readily inserted or removed by a rectilinear movement.

Still further objects of the invention may be mentioned, among others, in the provision of an improved contact assembly, an improved expedient for preventing unintended or casual misplacement of the parts in service-particularly by movement thereof about their axes; an improved and which:

ith the accompanying drawing, in

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an electric light receptacle simulating a candle, and made in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the device of Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken respectively along the correspondingly numbered lines of reference of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an elevation of a terminal connector of a type preferably employed, and Fig. 7 is a top or plan view of an anchoring or securing device utilized for supporting the candle on a twig or branch of a Christmas tree, the device of Fig. '7 appearing in side elevation in Fig. 1, as connected to the candle.

Referring now byvcharacters of reference to the drawing, particularly to the body portions of the fixture, these comprise a base 8 consisting, say, of a circular disc of hard fiber, such as horn ber, provided with paired apertures 9 for the reception of lead wires, as appears in Fig. 2. The base disc 8 is countersunk to'` provide a circular recess 10, serving frictionally to receive a sleeve 11, internally of which in frictionally engaged, telescopng relation is an elongate body tube 12. The parts 11 and 12 are conveniently and desirably formed of a har'd fiber which may be the same as that constituting the base disc 8. It is to be noted that the disc 8 may be die cut from a sheet fiber of suitable gauge, while the parts 11 and l2 are conveniently formed by cutting to appropriate length, fiber tubing of standard diameters. Extending longitudinally of, and disposed in diametrally opposed relation interiorly of the sleeve l1, are a pair of slots or grooves 13 and 14 (Figs. 2 and 5), the grooves serving to receive the protruding or head portions of terminal screws 15, hereinafter more fully described. As appears from Fig. 5, the presence of the heads of screws 15 in the grooves 13 and 14 serves, in assembly, to prevent angular displacement of the parts in a direction about the axis of the body tube 12. The body tube is preferably of even internal diameter, but, for the sake of improved appearance and better simulation of a candle, the outer end of the tube 12 is convergently beveled or tapered, as shown at 16.

The illuminant employed and indicated generally at 17, consists by preference, of a light bulb of switchboard type. Such bulbs are commercially obtainable in quantity, and are especially built to withstand heavy duty and continued service. Those presently employed areof Stromberg- Carlson manufacture, type 18A-2, rated at 18 volts, and hence enabling the fixtures to be employed in series of six for connection into a standard 110 volt lighting circuit. Bulbs of this type ecl esv

are provided with a polygonal insulating base 18, and opposed lateral metal tangs 19.

Disposed immediately below the bulb, and within the body tube 12, is an element 20, which may conveniently consist of a spacer or filler of wood, of such a length that its lower end abuts the bottom of recess l0 in the base 8, while the opposite end face serves to receive the inner end of the base of bulb 17. The parts are soproportioned with respect to the'lengths of the body tube that only the filament-bearing portion of the bulb 17 projects above the body tube 12, which thus serves to conceal the metal tangs 19 over their:`

length. The filler or spacer member 20 also serves, as hereinafter appears, the purpose cfa wedge, as well as an insulating element between conducting parts within the body tube.

Connection from the lead wiresto the tangs 19 of the bulb, is effected through a pair of spring f bowed portions serve to provide resilient seats of engagement with the opposed tangs 19 of the bulb. The arrangement and mounting of the strips 21 are preferably such that, when the parts are asin part to the presence of screws 15. yThe wood spacer 2Q is laterally cut away or faced, so as tov provide clearance within the tube for the strips 2l, (see Fig. 4).

` Ihe strips 21 are preferably'provided with tapped Gpenings24, these openings being located somewhat above the inner or lower end of the stripsand serving threadedly to receive the terminal screws l5 v above referred t o Disposed by preference just outwardly of lower ends of strips 21, area pairof connectors indicated generally at 25, and shown in elevation inleig. 6. Theseconnectors-are ofastandard type now commercially available for switch and switchboard connections, in telephony and other allied arts. It may be noted that the connectors 25 are each formed of a fiat punched metal member provided with an eye, the aperture of which is indicated at 26, and a shank portion 27, provided with lateral tongues such as 28. The bare or stripped ends of the lead wires are inserted parallel to and upon the shank 27, the tongues 28 being bent overthe bare end of the wire. Follow-1 ing or before the crimping or bending of the j tongues, a drop of solder is applied so as to perlowed in telephony and similar arts, being hereV Optionally.

included merely for completeness. but desirably, a small fiber sleeve or tube 29 may, after vsecurement of the connector to the wire end,

be drawn over the soldered tongued portion of the connector shank, so as to shield and further 65 jto insulate the connectors between the eye portions and the insulation of the lead wires.

In assembling the connectors to the strips 21,

the connectors having been rst secured to the,

leadr Wires as described, the spring strips are in,-

nectors to the wires.

the

inner ends of the screws, which may then be threaded up firmly to seat in the tapped apertures 24 of the strips 21. The screws threadedly engaging both the apertures of the tube 12 and the strips, the eyes of the connectors will become gripped between the strips and the inner surface of the body tube. The spacer 2O may now be inserted, the base disc brought to bear against the lower margin of the bodytubefand sleeve 11 brought downwardly along the body tube and into position in the recess 10, with the slots 14 receiving the screw heads as in Fig. 5. The bulb :17 may now be inserted to complete the assembly.

As a convenient expedient for supporting the electric candle xture, say from the twigs or limbs` of a Christmas tree, when the fixture is employed for tree decoration, I have provided a holderv formed of spring wire, and best shown in Figs. l and .7, as consisting of an upturned convolute or helical twig-gripping portion 30, and a laterally extended, hook'or bight 31. It will be notedthat the convolute portionv 30 extends upwardly of the plane of the bight 31, and that the bight is formed of a diameter so as snugly and grippingly to engagethe sleeve portion 11, just abovethe base disc 8. appliedtothe fixture preferably as suggested by Fig. 1 and the fixture and holder secured, say to a tree branch orthelike, by applying the portion 39 sothatthetwig or branch is grippingly received between adjacent resilient convolutions.

It will have appeared from the foregoing desuch as the body tube 12,1the sleeve 11 and thev base 8, aswell as Vthe strips 21 and. connections 25 are all, or may be, of standard commercial stock, A distinct advantage in both appearance and'rigidity of structure results from the use of the sleeve 1 14 frictionally` engaged -in the countersunk'or recessed portion 10 of the base disc. In assembly, as appears from-Fig. 1, it is noted that the sleeve 11 vand base disc coact to simulate a candle stick or holder, whereas the bodytube 12 simulates acandle proper. Thus the assembly, particularly when painted'or decorated in appropriate colors, provides a-desirable decorative simulation of a candle and candle stick. Besides these advantages, the structure is of distinctly more sturdy and ruggedconstruction and hence, particularlywhen employed with a light bulb of the aforesaid switchboard type, isadapted for a long period of use Without damage or necessity of replacement of parts, all in attainment of the several objects hereinabove set forth.

While I have described the invention by making particular reference to the parts of a selected In-practice the holder is preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the parts described, and the combination thereof, may be substantially varied without departing from the scope of the appended claims.V Y f MI' claim .as my invention:

1. An ornamental electric .fixture simulating a candle and candle stick, and including a body formed of a circularbase plate ordisc, provided with a central countersunk-recess, a base sleeve exteriorly-frictionally engaged at its lower end by the circular. walls of the base recess, a body tube frictionally and telescopically inserted in the base sleeve, and. extending upwardly a substantial distance beyond the base sleeve, the bodyv tube being beveled or chamfered near its outer or upper end, the base, base sleeve and tube being formed of horn ber or the like, a pair of spring contact strips disposed within the body tube and extending longitudinally of the inner walls thereof, the contact strips being furled at their outer extremities, and bowed just inwardly thereof, the contact strips being provided with tapped apertures near their inner ends, a connector eye having a lead wire secured thereto, for each of the contact strips, connector screws extending through tapped apertures therefor, in the body tube, and engaging the connector eyes and companion tapped apertures in the connector strips, the base being provided with spaced apertures for the lead wires, in register with the connectors and spring strips, the base sleeve being provided with opposed longitudinal grooves of a width to receive the heads of the connector screws, a spacer or filler element of insulating material within the body tube and between the contact strips, adapted wedgingly to maintain the strips in spaced relation within the tube, one end of the spacer abutting the base plate or disc, and the opposite end constituting an abutment for a light bulb, a light bulb of switchboard type, endwise insertable and removable into and from the space at the outer end of the body tube, so as to bring the contact tangs of the bulb into frictional engagement with the opposed bowed and furled portions of the contact strips, and a holder of spring wire type having a loop or bight portion exteriorly embracing the sleeve adjacent the base, and an upwardly extending, laterally off-set, convolute holder portion adapted to receive an elongate support in gripped relation between adjacent convolutions.

2. An electric xture simulating a candle and candle stick, and including a body formed of a base plate or disc, provided with a circular countersunk recess, an open-end base sleeve exteriorly engaged at its lower end by the circular walls of the base recess, a body tube inserted in the base sleeve, and extending upwardly a substantial distance beyond the base sleeve, the base, base sleeve and tube being formed of insulating material, a pair of contact strips within the body tube and extending*longitudinally of the inner walls thereof, the contact strips being bowed near their outer extremities, and provided with apertures near their inner ends, a connector eye having a lead wire secured thereto, for each of the Contact strips, connector screws extending through apertures therefor, in the body tube, and engaging the connector eyes and apertures in the connector strips, the base being provided with spaced apertures for the lead wires, in register with the connectors and strips, a spacer element of insulating material within the body tube and between the contact strips, adapted to maintain the strips in spaced, insulated relation within the tube, the outer end of the spacer constituting a rest for the light bulb, and a light bulb of switchboard type, endwise insertable into and removable from the space at the outer end of the body tube, so as to bring the contact tangs of the bulb into frictional engagement with the opposed bowed portions of the contact strips.

3. An ornamental electric iixture simulating a candle and candle stick, and including a body formed of a circular base plate or disc, provided with a central countersunk recess, a base sleeve exteriorly engaged at its lower end by the circular walls of the base recess, a body tube telescopically inserted in the base sleeve, and extending upwardly a substantial distance beyond the base sleeve, the base, base sleeve and tube being formed of an insulating material, a pair of spring contact strips disposed within the body tube and extending longitudinally of the inner walls thereof, the contact strips being bowed inwardly of the tube near their outer extremities, and pro- 'vided with tapped apertures near their inner ends, a connector eye having a lead wire secured thereto, for each of the contact strips, connector screws extending through tapped apertures therefor, in the body tube, and engaging the connector eyes and companion tapped apertures in the connector strips, the base being provided with spaced apertures for the lead wires, in register with the connectors and spring strips, the base sleeve being provided with opposed longitudinal grooves of a width to receive the heads of the connector screws, a spacer or filler element of insulating material within the body tube and between the contact strips, adapted wedgingly to maintain the strips in spaced relation within the tube, the outer end of the spacer constituting an abutment for a light bulb, and a light bulb of switchboard type, endwise insertable and removable into and from the space at the outer end of the body tube, so as to bring the contact tangs of the bulb into frictional engagement with the opposed bowed portions of the contact strips.

4. An ornamental electric fixture simulating a candle and candle stick, and including a body formed of a circular base plate or disc, provided withV a central countersunk recess, a base sleeve exteriorly irictionally engaged at its lower end -by the circular walls of the base recess, a body tube frictionally and telescopically inserted in the base sleeve, and extending upwardly a substantial distance beyond the base sleeve, the body tube being beveled or chamfered near its outer or upper end, the base, base sleeve and tube being formed of horn fiber or the like, a pair of spring contact strips disposed within the body and extending longitudinally of the inner walls thereof, the contact strips being furled at their outer extremities, and bowed just inwardly thereof, the contact strips being provided with tapped apertures near their inner ends, a connector eye having a lead wire secured thereto, for each of the contact strips, connector screws extending through tapped apertures therefor, in the body tube, and engaging the connector eyes and companion tapped apertures in the connector strips, the base being provided with spaced apertures for the lead wires, in register with the connectors and spring strips, the base sleeve being provided with opposed longitudinal grooves of a width to receive the heads of the connector screws, a spacer orller element of insulating material within the body tube and between the contact strips, adapted wedgingly to maintain the strips in spaced relation within the tube, one end of the spacer abutting the base plate or disc, and the opposite end constituting an abutment for a light bulb, and a light bulb of switchboard type, endwise insertable and removable into and from the space at the outer end of the body tube, so as to bring the contact tangs of the bulb into frictional engagement with the opposed bowed and furled portions of the contact strips.

ARMIN A. MALLINCKRODT. 

